


Let it hurt. Then let it go.

by jao_452018



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Heartbreak, Morning Cuddles, Original Character(s), Swearing, Walkers (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:10:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23303629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jao_452018/pseuds/jao_452018
Summary: Harper Grimes (Rick and Lori's oldest child) is smart, strong, and beautiful. That is exactly what Daryl Dixon thinks of her. After meeting her as she ran through the woods trying to escape Atlanta, Daryl couldn't keep her out of his head. Luckily for him Harper thinks he is the most interesting thing in the world and is ready to deal with anyone if it means she can be with Daryl. Daryl finally discovers what the true meaning of love is. Daryl Dixon/OC.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. New Beginning

Daryl knew the moment he saw her he wanted to be by her side for the rest of their life. She was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. She was on her hands and knees huffing. It looked like she had just ran a marathon. She must have been working in a hospital before this because she was currently in bloody scrubs.

"Now. Now. Now. What do we have here?" Merle asked as he walked over to the girl. She pushed herself up to her feet and gripped something in her hand a little tighter As Daryl looked at it longer he realized it was a scalpel.

"What do you want from me?" The girl huffed as she glared at both of them. 

"Just some trying to be friendly, you stupid bitch." Merle hissed. She looked ready to defend herself if either came at her. She clearly didn't trust either of them.

"Hey." Daryl said drawing her attention to him. He held up both hands and put his crossbow on his back. She watched him for a minute before she slightly loosened her own stance. "My name is Daryl. That's Merle." 

"My name is Harper." She said as she huffed a little more. Daryl nodded for her to follow them but her glance went from him to Merle. 

"He isn't going to hurt you I promise." Daryl said making her nod and follow Daryl. 

"Where are you going?" Harper asked as they reached the truck. 

"Atlanta refuge center." Merle told her. She shook her head at them. 

"It's a loss cause. Over ran. Biters everywhere. Do you have a map?" She asked making Daryl reach in the truck and pull out a map. "Our best bet is this quarry. We can set up camp there until things calm down." 

"And why should we listen to you?" Merle asked with a smirk.

"Because if you keep the thought of going to Atlanta I am going to walk that way until I hit King's County." She said before Merle could respond helicopters went over their heads. Harper ran into the woods and the boys followed her. The group watched as the helicopters dropped napalms on Atlanta. "Still going to Atlanta?"

"The uppity Bitch sits in the bed of the truck." Merle said as the group walked back to the truck. Daryl tried to help Harper up but she stepped on the tire and stepped into the bed. She smiled at Daryl and he got into the truck. "How the fuck are we supposed to get up there?"

"Next road on your left." Harper said as she leaned over the side of the truck to see up front. Merle turned onto the road she said and in 5 minutes they were up the road and near the top. 

"Who else is up here?" Daryl asked as they saw the headlights of other cars. 

"No one should be." Harper said as they came to a stop. Harper climbed out of the back and spoke to the boys. "The only people who know about this is-" Harper took off towards the other cars. She saw a man walking towards them and she instantly recognized him.

"Shane!" She yelled making him run towards her alerting a couple other people. 

"Harper!" Shane yelled back as he wrapped his arms around her. A couple other people ran up to them. 

"Harper! I thought I lost you." Lori said as she hugged her close.

"Mom." Harper cried as she hugged her then the boy next to her.

"Harper who are they?" Shane asked as he looked at the brothers.

"Merle and Daryl. They saved me." She said as Lori hugged her again.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Daryl was sitting by himself one day working on skinning a deer when he spotted Harper walking over towards the RV. She was wearing a Gun 'n Roses shirt with a pair of jean shorts and combat boots. He looked back down at the deer when he heard someone approach. He expected to see Shane or Lori but he didn't expect to see Harper in front of him.

"Hey." She said. 

"Hey." He gruffed back. As he looked back down at the deer.

"Did you want help?" Harper asked making Daryl snap his head back up at her. "I just know your brother usually helps but he isn't back from his run so I figured that you may want help. That was a really stupid question. I'm sorry. I'll just leave you alone and throw myself over the cliff." Harper turned to leave when Daryl snapped out of his shock. 

"You can stay. I just... I'm surprised you wanted to help." Daryl said looking at her. 

"I never hurts to learn something new. Besides you looked lonely over here." Harper said stepping back towards Daryl. He nodded next to him and she took the seat.

"Ever gut something before?" Daryl asked as he handed her a knife.

"Fish. When I went to visit my grandparents. Frogs. When I would hunt for frogs with Shane. Oh and a raccoon when I was bored the one time." She said taking the knife. Daryl gave her a curious look and she sighed. "It was killed already by my grandparents dog and just laying in the backyard."

"Alright," Daryl said with a little laugh. Daryl showed her where to cut and helped her with depth. It was going well and Daryl enjoyed how close they were when she accidentally cut a major vein. It sprayed all over her and she flinch backwards. Daryl stared at her in shock as she spit the blood that got in her mouth out. She grabbed his rag and wiped her face off then looked at Daryl. He pointed out what she did wrong then they kept going. When they finished cars were pulling up. 

"That was fun." She laughed looking at her shirt after she stood up. Daryl smirked up at her. "Well let me know next time you need help. I think I'm gonna go change my shirt then try and get the blood out of it. See ya, Daryl."

"See ya, Harper." Daryl said as smirked to himself. Merle walked over and pushed Daryl. 

"What's got you all happy?" Merle asked confused. Daryl just grunted in return. Carol was helping Harper, who had just changed into a tank top, get the blood out of the shirt. Merle looked at Daryl then followed his line of sight and looked at Harper. "Eye candy like that doesn't go for dumbasses like you little brother get that out of your head real quick." 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Daryl." Harper said as she walked up to him and Merle while he was cleaning his crossbow. 

"Hey Harper." He said not looking back. 

"Hello Harper." Merle said winking. Harper rolled her eyes. 

"Shove it Merle. What are you doing after you finish cleaning your bow?" Harper asked Daryl. 

"I haven't really decided yet why you need help with something?" He asked looking at her. 

"Ever had to gut a fish before?" Harper asked. 

"No. Never fished before only hunted." Daryl said. 

"Dale has a couple poles wanna go fishing with me. I promise the only way you can get blood squirted on you is if you cut too deep while trying to gut it." She said making Daryl smirk. 

"Sure. I'm gonna finish this really quick." 

"Great. I'll meet you down by the lake." Harper said before she walked off. Merle looked from her to him. 

"Little brother that's what good old dad used to call a trouser chaser." Merle said. Daryl rolled his eyes and got up. "Just trying to help you little brother." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Daryl and Harper spent three hours down in the lake laughing and splashing each other. When they walked back up to camp they had a ton of fish. After everyone was happy for a few minutes Harper grabbed some newspaper and set it on the table. 

"Okay so first you want to cut right up the stomach but not too deep." She said as he did it with her. "Now stick your thumb down its throat and pull out the guts." After a while Merle came over. 

"Wanna teach another, Harppy?" Merle asked. 

"Sure but don't call me Harppy." Harper snapped. 

"Whatever. Whatever." Merle said. 

"Okay now cut down the stomach. Shove your thumb down it's throat and pull." Merle did as instructed and pulled the guts out holding them up so he could looked at it. 

"That wasn't so bad." Merle said. 

"Oh it was a female. Look you can see the eggs." Harper said making Merle drop it. Harper laughed as he glared at her and Daryl smirked. 

"Very funny Harppy." Merle said as he wiped his hands off. 

"I thought so." Harper said smiling. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Daryl was showing Harper how to work his crossbow as Shane watched them from the top of the RV. Dale climbed up the side and stood next to Shane. It had been five months since Harper had been hanging around Daryl and Merle and neither of the boys were causing as many issues as they did in the past. 

"Dixion Boys have never seem calmer." Dale said as he watched Harper almost fall over trying to pull the bow string up making him smile as Merle came over to hold it for her. 

"I just wish it didn't take Harper being around them for that to happen." Shane said as Daryl stood behind her to help her aim. 

"Why not? She is happy. The boys are happy. They don't scare everyone as much. Maybe that's what this world needs more of kind people who don't care about people's backgrounds." Dale said making Shane look at him. Harper fired the bow and hit the corner of the target making them all laugh. 

"Backgrounds define people. They are dangerous and they will continue to be dangerous putting everyone at risk." Shane said. As Harper waved Carl and the other kids over. Carl was the only one who tried to pull the string up. Daryl stepped behind him and helped Carl pull the string. Before Dale could say anything they heard Merle talk. 

"Look at you big man got it all by himself." Merle said holding his hand up to Carl. It took a minute but eventually Carl high-fived Merle. 

"Can I fire it too?" Carl asked. 

"Sorry big man. Don't think your Mama would want that. Besides it ain't a toy. Now hop off." Merle said to Carl. Carl nodded then ran off with the other kids after Harper rubbed his head. Shane looked at Dale who just smiled and got down. 

"I'm going to head out see if I can pick up those deer tracks again." Daryl said as Harper sat down. 

"Okay. If they go on the group run and Merle goes, I'll probably go." Harper said. 

"Hey. I don't need a babysitter." Merle said as he pulled the arrows out of the tree. Both Harper and Daryl gave Merle a look and he ignored them. Daryl bent over to his bag and grabbed a knife. He closed it and held it out to Harper. 

"Take it. If you run into a couple, go for the head." Daryl said to her as she took it. Daryl knocked his head lightly against hers then punched Merle and left. 

"Alright who all is going in with me?" Glenn asked. Harper put the knife in her boot then jogged up to Glenn when Merle walked over. "Oh thank god." Glenn muttered when Harper stepped up next to Merle and he leaned an elbow on her. Once the group started getting ready to go Lori pulled Harper aside. 

"You don't have to do this. You can stay here, baby. You owe those Dixion boys nothing." Lori said making Harper look down. 

"No. I do. They made me change my point of view and with this many people Glenn will need me. Plus its not just that. Something is telling me to go with them. I don't know. I'll be safe mom. I promise." Harper said hugging Lori. Shane walked over and held something out to her. It was one of her Dad's pistols. 

"Make 'em count." Shane said hugging her. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Harper was sitting in the fire escape when Glenn called over the walkie. 

"Two Geeks in the alley." He said. Harper looked and spotted who he was talking about. 

"I got 'em." She said Jumping out of the fire escape and jumping down behind them. She pulled the knife Daryl gave her out and stabbed the two in the head before running in the open door. When she looked at who they had just saved Harper covered her mouth as tears started to well up. "No way." It was her father standing there. Rick looked over at her and covered his mouth. She ran and hugged him as she sobbed into his shoulder. 

"Harper." Rick said as he hugged her to him. 

"Uncle Shane said you had died." She sobbed. Rick just shook his head as he held her. Gun shots pulled them all out of the happy scene sending the group running to the roof. As everyone tried to talk Merle into stopping, Harper walked through them. "Merle. Get down from there." He stepped down and looked at her. 

"I told you and my brother that I didn't need a babysitter." Merle said pointing the gun at her. 

"With what's happening you clearly do." Harper said. Merle hit Harper with the gun then was cuffed to a pipe by Rick. Andrea helped Harper up and Harper sighed loudly. "Merle I thought we were cool. I also thought I told you to take your pills before we left." He didn't say anything just watched as she grabbed the gun from the ground. When she started to walk away Merle called out to her. 

"You mad?" She didn't look back and kept walking. 

"No just disappointed." She said leaving. 

"She close with him?" Rick asked that rest of the group. 

"Not really him but she is close with his brother." Morales said. As the group started discussing a way out Harper came up with something. 

"It's a really bad idea but it may work." Harper said as she looked at everyone. 

"You are officially the worst person I know." Glenn said as they looked at the walkers. 

"Okay, let me put it this way. Those things can smell us and tear us to bits. How do you get rid of that without killing them all cause we really can't do that? Same way you keep deer from smelling you." Harper said. Everyone agreed and helped cover her, Glenn, and Rick in the guts. 

"Officially the worst." Glenn whispered to Harper while they were in the middle of the horde. 

"Not the time." She hissed back. When the rain started to fall the three booked it towards the fence. Glenn ran and grabbed the keys as Harper and Rick found the truck. As they drove off Harper explained the rest of the plan. "So you and me have to get the geeks away from the roll up door so dad can back in and pick them up." 

"I must have missed it how are we distracting the geeks?" Glenn asked. Harper broke the window and opened the door as the alarm started going off. She opened the underneath panel and hot wired the car. 

"How do you even know how to hot wire a car?" Rick asked as they watched her. 

"Uncle Shane taught me." She said standing up. Harper ran to the passenger side and Glenn got in the driver's side. 

"Officially not the worst person." Glenn said to Harper as the drove towards the building and Harper called the others. 

"Wait go back that was the road." Harper said as Glenn sped past it then backed up into the road. They waited until all the walkers were interested in them then took off. They two started laughing and cheering as they made their way back to camp. As they got back Harper got out and ran to the front while everyone started questioning Glenn. 

"Will you shut that thing off?" Dale yelled. 

"I don't know how too." Glenn shrugged. 

"Glenn pop the hood." Harper asked as Shane walked up to them. Glenn popped the hood and Harper pulled the plug to the horn. 

"What the hell were you thinking wheeling this bastard up here?" Shane said to them. 

"It's hard to pinpoint the exactly where the sound is coming from up here." Harper said making Shane glare at her. 

"She's right, but maybe put some more thought into it next time. Both of you." Dale said. 

"Oh my god, Harper what happened to your cheek?" Lori asked as she walked over and hugged Carl to her stomach as everyone else reunited with their families. 

"Merle got me with the end of a rifle, but mom that's not the best part-" Harper was cut off by Morales yelling out. 

"Harper knew him. Hey Helicopter boy come say hello." Morales called. 

"Dad!" Carl yelled as he and Lori ran towards Rick. Harper passed Lori and hugged him and Carl. Lori joined the hug and wrapped her arms around them all. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

The next day Harper followed Carl and the other kids around watching them. Usually she would go down in the morning and get the day's water with Shane but he told her to relax. When she saw the walker she quickly grabbed them and motioned them back towards camp. She pulled the knife out of her boot and whistled at the walker making it look at her. As it approached her she took a step back and fell taking it with her. She drove the knife into its head and then pushed it off her as the others reached her. 

"Were you scratched or bite? Did it get you?" Rick asked as he helped her up. 

"No I'm good." Harper said as she brushed herself off. There was rustling behind her and Rick pulled her behind them all. She watched as Daryl came around the rock but paused. Harper walked through everyone and hugged Daryl. When she stepped back he rubbed his thumb over the bruise on her cheek. 

"What happened?" He asked. 

"Don't worry about it." She said making him frown. 

"Son of a bitch!" Daryl said when he saw the chew marks on the deer. "That was my deer." Daryl started kicking the walker's body when Harper grabbed his arm. He sighed but stopped. He walked behind her gently brush her side like he did when they were near people. The group talked for a few minutes before Daryl went back towards camp. Harper looked at the others then followed him back towards camp. 

"Daryl." Harper called as she caught up with him. 

"Merle! Merle get your ugly ass out here!" He yelled. 

"Daryl." Harper said a little bit louder. 

"What you wanna help again?" He asked as he turned and looked at her. 

"No we need to talk real quick." She said making him turn and look at her. 

"Oh yeah bout what?" He asked. 

"Bout Merle." Shane said taking over making her glare at him. "There was a problem in Atlanta." Daryl looked at the bruise on Harper's cheek again. 

"He hit you didn't he." Harper looked down then back at Daryl. "Of course he did. I'll talk to him." 

"There is something else." Shane said. Daryl looked around for a moment. 

"He dead?" Daryl asked. 

"We aren't sure." Shane said. 

"He either is or he ain't." Daryl said getting mad. 

"There is no easy way to say this. So I'll just say it." Rick said stepping up. 

"Who are you?" 

"Rick Grimes." Daryl looked from Rick to Harper. 

"Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?" 

"Your brother was a danger to us all. So I handcuffed him to a piece of metal on the roof." 

"Hold on. Let me process this." Daryl said rubbing his face with his arm. "You saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?! Where the hell were you?!" Daryl looked at Harper. 

"Trying to get my eye to stop bleeding." She snapped making him look down. He felt bad for snapping at her. 

"We left him there." Rick confirmed. Daryl threw his squirrels down and ran towards Rick. Harper stepped in front of him and Daryl stopped right in front of her. He rested his forehead against hers and took a few deeps breaths in an attempt to calm down. She took his hand gently and he squeezed it lightly. Daryl bumped their heads together then stepped away from her. 

"It’s not Rick’s fault. I had the key. I dropped it." T-Dog said as he walked up to the group. 

"You couldn’t pick it up?" Daryl snapped. 

"Well, I dropped it in a drain." T-Dog grumbled. 

"If it’s supposed to make me feel better, it don’t." Daryl said to T-Dog. 

"Well, maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn’t get at him—with a padlock." T-Dog informed everyone. 

"It’s gotta count for something." Harper said as she stepped closer to him. He looked from her to everyone else. 

"Hell with all y’all! Just tell me where he is so’s I can go get him." Daryl said. It broke Harper's heart to hear how upset Daryl was. 

"He’ll show you. Isn’t that right?" Lori said as Rick looked at her. 

"I’m going back." Rick told everyone. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"So that’s it, huh? You’re just gonna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?" Shane asked as they walked back towards the van. 

"I’m not saying to hell with anybody. Not you, Shane. Lori least of all." Rick said. 

"Tell her that." Shane said making Rick turn around. 

"She knows." 

"Well, look, I—I don’t, okay, Rick? So could you just—could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" 

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl said as they walked by him. 

"Oh no, I did. Douche bag’s what I mean. Merle Dixon—the guy wouldn’t give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst." 

"What he would or wouldn’t do doesn’t interest me. I can’t let a man die of thirst—me. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That’s no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." 

"So you and Daryl, that’s your big plan?" Lori asked. Rick turned and looked at Glenn. 

"Oh, come on." Glenn whispered. 

"You know the way. You’ve been there before. In and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It’s not fair of me to ask, I know that, but I’d feel a lot better with you along. I know she would too." 

"I'll go." Harper said. "If Glenn doesn't want to. I know everything just as good as he does." 

"No you ain't. Your happy ass is gonna stay right fucking here." Daryl said as he stood up. 

"Bite me." She said with a slight nod. Daryl made a biting motion at her making her roll her eyes. 

"That’s just great. Now you’re gonna risk three men, huh?" Shane asked putting his hands on his hips. 

"Four." T-Dog said. 

"My day just gets better and better, don’t it?" Daryl huffed making Harper pinch his side. 

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother’s cracker ass?" T-Dog shot back. 

"Why you?" Daryl asked. 

"You wouldn’t even begin to understand. You don’t speak my language." Daryl went to say something to T-Dog but Harper pushed him. 

"No. Just no. To the van." She said pushing Daryl towards the van. 

"What the hell was that for?" Daryl asked as they got to the truck. All Harper had to do was give him a look and he knew what she meant. "Alright you got me on that one." Daryl sat down on the edge of the truck and Harper stood between his legs. Daryl put a hand on her neck and pulled her in for a shy kiss. Harper smiled when he quickly got up and walked towards the front of the truck. 

"Be safe." Harper told Glenn and T-Dog as they got in the truck. "Please come back this time." Harper said and Rick reached them. Rick looked at Harper for a minute then pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

"We will be back before you know it pumpkin." Rick said as he got on the truck.


	2. Brains and Beauty

Harper was sitting with Daryl's poncho when she saw the walker moving towards Amy.

"Amy watch out!" Harper yelled. The walker bit into Amy and Harper pulled the poncho off. Harper then grabbed her knife and started going towards the walkers coming from the other direction. Harper wasn't sure how many walkers she had taken down when she found herself at the other end of Daryl's gun. He saw her and sighed. The two then stood back to back as they fought the walkers around them. As everything calmed down Rick patted Harper's shoulder gently. When Rick walked over to Lori and Carl, Harper wrapped her arms around Daryl. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and wrapped an arm around her.

"I didn't think we would make it back in time." Daryl told her as they stood together looking around.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harper stood by the side of the road puking while Daryl held her hair back. Harper groaned and sat down while the rest of the group talked to Jim. Daryl held out a bottle of water and Harper took it. 

"You got a bug?" Daryl asked as he sat next to her. 

"God. I hope." Harper said as he helped her up. Rick walked over to her and Daryl.

"You alright?" Rick asked looking at her with concern.

"Yeah I just think it's a stomach bug." She said nodding to Rick. 

"Okay we are ready to get back on the road." Rick said before he walked away from them. Daryl opened the door and help Harper into the passenger side before closing it and going over to his side. Harper leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes, passing out in minutes. Once they got there Daryl gently woke her and the two got out of the car. When they were let into the CDC Harper was the first to volunteer to go.

"How nice of you to volunteer." Jenner said as she sat down and looked away.

"Not really hate the thought of needles. Just get it over with." Harper said taking Daryl's hand as he reached out to her. She leaned her head into his side and he played with her hair gently. His actions shocked just about everyone as it happened.

"This is really sweet. How long have you two been together?" Jenner asked. 

"Since this all begun. Five months." Harper said. "Are you done yet?"

"Yes." Jenner said as he covered the needle mark. Daryl pressed a kiss to her head then pulled her up and sat down. Once he was done they went and sat next to Lori and Carl. After a while Jenner led the group to a little area so they could eat some food. Pretty soon everyone was laughing and drinking except for Harper. 

"Have a glass, Harper. You're 21. You can drink." Rick told her.

"I think I'm just gonna stick to water. I'm not feeling wine." Harper said as she took a drink from her water glass. 

"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner. And in France." Dale said laughing lightly. 

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then." Lori said making them laugh.

"What’s it gonna hurt? Come on. Come on." Rick said.

"What?" Carl asked looking around. Carl looked at Harper who just smiled and shrugged. Dale Looked at Lori who smiled and shrugged letting them give Carl a half cup of wine.

"There you are, young lad." Dale said as Carl took the cup. Everyone watched as Carl drank from the cup.

"Eww." Carl said making everyone laugh. 

"That’s my boy. That’s my boy. Good boy." Lori said as she pour the rest of the wine into her glass. 

"Yuck. That tastes nasty." Carl said making Harper giggle. 

"Well, just stick to soda pop there, bud." Shane said.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl said standing up and pouring him another glass of wine. 

"What?" Glenn asked confused.

"Keep drinking, little man. I want to see how red your face can get." Daryl said handing him the cup of wine. When Daryl sat back down Harper laid her head on his shoulder making him wrap an arm around her. Harper was quiet as she listened to Shane ask his questions. Once Jenner had answered all their questions he led them towards the living quarters. 

"Most of the facility is powered down including housing so you’ll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like. There’s a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don’t plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power. The same applies—if you shower, go easy on the hot water." Jenner said making everyone smile.

"Hot water?" Glenn repeated as T-Dog started to smile.

"That’s what the man said." T-Dog said happily. Daryl held Harper's hand and pulled her into a room as she laughed happily. Daryl started the shower as Harper looked at herself in the mirror. Daryl looked at her and smiled. 

"I feel like I've gained weight." Harper said confused. Daryl walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"I think you look prefect." Daryl said. "Come one let's shower. You smell." Harper gasped at him and pushed him towards the shower making him laugh and pull her with him. Harper gently kissed him and he kissed her back.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning Daryl woke up to the sound of Harper puking. He jumped out of bed and grabbed her hair trying to keep it out of her face. 

"Shouldn't I be the one throwing up?" Daryl joked making her glare at him. Harper sat back against Daryl and he leaned his head on her shoulder. "Maybe Doc would have some idea about what's wrong."

"I'm dying put a bullet in me. Between the eyes. Don't give me the pleasure of coming back as one of those things." Harper said making Daryl snort. Daryl stood and helped Harper to her feet. When they got to the kitchen Daryl sat down while Harper poured herself some water. 

"Hello." Rick said to them as he walked into the kitchen. 

"Morning." Dale called back.

"Are you hung over? Mom said you’d be." Carl asked making Harper laugh really loud.

"Mom is right." Rick said smiling at Harper.

"Mom has that annoying habit." Lori said adding to the humor.

"Eggs. Powdered, but—but I do ‘em good. I bet you can’t tell." T-Dog said as Glenn was groaning. Harper walked over to Glenn and rubbed his shoulders as she stood behind him. 

"Protein helps the hangover." Harper said as T-Dog put some eggs on his plate. Harper sat back down by Daryl and quietly picked at her eggs while everybody talked. Harper had run out of water when Jenner finally entered the room. She had gotten up and got more water as Dale spoke. 

"Doctor: I don’t mean to slam you with questions first thing—" Dale said.

"But you will anyway." Harper was drinking her water when Jenner turned to her. "Congrats on being four months pregnant. You look wonderful." Jenner said making Harper spit all the water out of her mouth. Harper put a hand on the counter and started coughing. Daryl was by her side in second with a towel to wipe her face off. Everyone sat in stunned silence for a few minutes as Harper calmed down. 

"I'm sorry what?" Harper said looking at Jenner. 

"Your blood test showed you had pregnancy hormones in your blood stream. So congrats to both of you. Follow me." Jenner said making her cover her mouth as he led everyone towards a bigger room.

"Give me a playback of TS-19." Jenner said. 

"Playback of TS-19."

"Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few." The screen showed 3-D views of a human skull. 

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked. 

"An extraordinary one. Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for E.I.V."

"Enhanced internal view." The main screen changed to show the upper shoulders and head of the subject. The screen moved to a horizontal view then increases the magnification. The image becomes more and more detailed. The magnification shows the Inside the skull. It appears to be lit with bright blue threads of energy. Some areas are denser with light than others but there are lighted threads throughout the skull. The detail zooms in until the threads become closer and pulses of light can be distinguished.

"What are those lights?" Shane asked. 

"It’s a person’s life—experiences, memories." Harper said with a fascination. She looked at Jenner who smiled at her. "It’s everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you—the thing that makes you unique and human."

"You don’t make sense ever?" Daryl said looking at Harper making her pout.

"Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death." Harper said. 

"You in school before this?" Jenner asked Harper.

"Physician, Neuro and pathogens. Triple major at University of Georgia. Top of my class I actually had an internship planned here for the summer. Never got that far." Harper said making Jenner nod. 

"Death? That’s what this is, a vigil?" Rick asked bring them back to focus.

"Yes. Or rather the playback of the vigil." Jenner Said

"This person died? Who?" Andrea asked. 

"Test subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected… and volunteered to have us record the process. VI, Scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event."

"What is that?" Glenn asked.

"It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death. Everything you ever were or ever will be…gone."

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked Carol.

"Yes."

"Scan to the second event." Jenner said.

"Scanning to second event."

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute… seven seconds."

"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked.

"No, just the brain stem." Harper said as she watched the video. 

"Basically it gets them up and moving." Jenner said nodding.

"But they’re not alive?" Rick asked.

"You tell me."

"It’s nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark."

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part—that doesn’t come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct." The subject began to move and a bullet went through its head.

"VI, Power down the main screen and the workstations."

"Powering down main screen and workstations."

"You have no idea what it is, do you?"

"Harper want to take a stab?" Jenner asked looking at the younger girl.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal." She said. 

"Or the wrath of God?" Jackie added.

"There is that." Jenner said. Harper rested her head on Daryl's side and closed her eyes. She had suddenly become exhausted in a few minutes.

"Somebody must know something. Somebody somewhere." Andrea said looking at Jenner.

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" Carol asked softly. 

"There may be some. People like me." Jenner said.

"But you don’t know? How can you not know?" Rick asked confused. 

"Everything went down. Communications, directives—all of it. I’ve been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it’s not just here. There’s nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That’s what you’re really saying, right?" Andrea asked.

"Man, I’m gonna get shitfaced drunk again." Daryl said making Harper snort.

"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but…that clock—it’s counting down. What happens at zero?" Dale asked making everyone look at the clock.

"The basement generators—they run out of fuel."

"And then?" Jenner ignored the question and walked away from the group.

"VI, what happens when the power runs out?" Rick asked.

"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur." A group ran out of the room as the rest went back towards the living area. Harper laid down and was out in minutes. Daryl watched her sleep and looked at her. He smiled at the thought of her being pregnant. He rubbed her stomach. The power went out and Daryl let Harper sleep as he went and checked it out. Harper was startled awake when Daryl suddenly picked her up and pulled her behind him. 

"What the hell?" Harper growled. 

"Building is about to blow." Daryl told her as they started going at the window. It took Harper a minute but eventually she woke up and ran to one of the labs they passed. 

"Watch it." She said as she walked up with a canister of liquid nitrogen. She sprayed it with the liquid nitrogen then took an axe from Daryl she hit the window once and it shattered. Everyone ran through the window and to the cars. Right as they were about to leave Dale and Andrea walked through the window. As the time ran out everyone got to cover. Daryl covered Harper as the explosion happened making her squeeze her eyes shut. Daryl rubbed her back gently to let her know she could sit up. Harper turned and looked at the building in shock. Harper didn't even realize her hand was on her stomach until Daryl took her hand in his. The two shared a look then Daryl pressed a kiss to her forehead before they took off.


	3. Given Skills

Harper climbed on the motorcycle behind Daryl and wrapped her arms around his waist as they took off after stopping to switch to a smaller group. Harper closed her eyes and let the wind blow across her face as she sat back. She sighed as she rested her chin on Daryl's shoulder and looked at the road ahead of them. 

"Is that a road block?" Harper asked as she looked at the cars they were approaching. As they slowly made their way through the cars the RV hose blew up. Everyone stopped and started getting out.

"I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times. Dead in the water." Dale said as he opened up the front of the RV. 

"Problem, Dale?" Shane asked.

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-- Okay, that was dumb." Dale said as they looked at the cars around. 

"If you can't find a radiator hose here..." Shane said trailing off. 

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl said looking through the truck of a car. 

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog said. 

"Maybe some water." Carol added. 

"Or food." Glenn said looking around. 

"This is a graveyard. I don't know how I feel about this." Lori said interjecting.

"All right, all right, here we go." T-Dog said walking back to the cars so he could grab fuel cans.

"Come on, y'all. Just look around, gather what you can." Shane said as everyone started looking around.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harper was looking through a car when she saw her dad motion for them to get down. Harper got under the car and cursed as she watched the horde stumble by. The second she saw the walkers go after Sophia she was up and after her. Harper quickly caught up to Sophia and took her hand.

"Come on. This way. Stay close." Harper said pulling Sophia behind her. Harper got to a point were she could turn around and looked at the walkers following them. She walked up to the one and killed it when she went to kill the other two more showed up. "Damn it. Come on." 

Harper felt like they had been running for hours when they stumbled on the church. She looked at it and sighed. Harper looked in the window and saw the three bodies sitting in the pews. Harper shook her head and placed a hand on her stomach as she looked around in thought. She was snapped out of her deep thought when a smaller hand was placed next to hers. Harper looked down at Sophia who was just staring at her stomach. 

"Okay we are going to stay here tonight then hang tight see if the others catch up to us." Harper said pulling Sophia with her around the corner. Sophia curled up next to her and snuggled in close when she started drifting off. Harper couldn't sleep. She felt too restless. After what felt like a few minutes, the sun started to rise. Sophia eventually woke and Harper got up. 

"I'm hungry." Sophia said. 

"I know. Let's see what the church has to offer." Harper said looking at Sophia. "Stay right here and yell if you see something okay?" Harper threw open the church doors making all the walkers look at her. She killed them one by one and looked over to where she told Sophia to stay. "What the hell?" She muttered when she saw that Sophia wasn't where she told her to stay. A scream made Harper sprint out of the church and towards were she saw Sophia take off into the woods. Harper had lost sight of Sophia but kept going. She moved around a tree and came face to face with a walker. She fell over and the walker fell on top of her. Harper killed the walker then pushed herself to her feet. She had hit her head upon falling to the ground so when she got up she had double vision. She stumbled for a while until she came across a farm. A brunette ran up to her and helped her towards the house. 

"Dad! She needs help." The woman said as they entered the house. Harper blacked out as they laid her in a bed.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harper woke up and saw a man standing at the foot of her bed. She looked startled and stared at the man. Her hand was covering her stomach instinctively. The man laughed and sat in a chair next to her.

"You gave us quite a scare but you and the small one are alright." He said. Harper nodded and looked around the room. "My name is Hershel."

"My name is Harper." She said. Harper looked down and her bump was much more visible. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A few days. You were exhausted when Maggie helped you across the field." He said helping her out of bed. Harper didn't realize she was wearing a dress until she stood up and it dropped to the ground. "We were able to find you some looser clothes." As they walked into the kitchen a blonde girl jumped in front of her. 

"Hello. I'm Beth." She said smiling at Harper.

"I'm Harper. Has a little girl in a blue shirt and Khaki pants been this way?" Harper asked everyone in the room. They all shook their head as she sat down sighing. "A bunch of walkers trapped my group under cars. Then chased a little girl I ran after her and when I was clearing an area so we could wait for my boyfriend and family to find us. She didn't listen and ran off getting the attention of a walker. When I ran after her a walker cut me off and I fell. I can't remember walking here." 

"I want to ask you this because I noticed it while I was checking over you. All those scars are expertly stitched. Who did them?" Hershel asked. 

"I did them. I was in medical school before this. I worked in a hospital and a infirmary in a prison. You get good at stitches or you quit." Harper Said quietly making him nod.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hershel had Harper stay the night and promised she would be able to start making her way towards the highway in a day or so. The next day Harper was walking with Beth when they heard yelling. As they made their way back, Harper thought they looked familiar. When she reached them she understood why. 

"Carl? Carl!?" She yelled as she ran towards the house.

"Harper! I'm going to need you!" Hershel yelled as she ran up the stairs of the house and pushed past her father as Hershel gave orders. "Patricia, we are going to need my full kit. Maggie, painkillers, coagulates--grab everything. Clean towels, sheets, alcohol. In here. Pillowcase." Harper took the stethoscope and closed her eyes as she listened. 

"Is he alive?" Rick asked quietly as he watched his daughter and Hershel work.

"Pillowcase, quick." Hershel said as he watched Harper. 

"Daddy, I have a heartbeat but it's faint. I really need you to fold that pillow case so that we can try and stop the bleeding." Harper said making her father jump into action. He folded it and Patricia took it taking rick's spot.

"I got it, step back." She told Rick. 

"Maggie, IV." Hershel said as Harper moved to look through what supplies Hershel had. 

"We need some place." Maggie told Rick as she watched in shock.

"Your name?" Hershel asked as he moved around the girls. When Rick didn't respond Harper reacted. 

"Daddy. I am going to do everything I can, but we need space to work. Right now. Go find Shane. He can't be too far off." Harper said making Rick nod and slowly move to leave. Harper started cleaning around the gun shot as Hershel took over the pressure being kept on the wound from Patricia. "He is losing too much blood." 

"Do you know his blood type?" Hershel asked her. 

"It's the same as my father's. We need Dad because he is going to need blood." Harper said as Rick and Shane walked into the room.

"Don't wander too far. We are going to need you." Hershel said to Rick as Harper nodded for Hershel to looked towards Otis. "What happened?"

"I was tracking a buck. Bullet went through it. Went clean through." Otis told them.

"The deer slowed the bullet down, which certainly saved his life. But it did not go through clean. It broke up into pieces. If I get the bullet fragments out...and I'm counting six." Harper said as she took the towel from Hershel and looked in the wound slightly. "I've done this hundreds of times before helping the surgeons." Otis mumbled back and forth with Patricia for a few minutes.

"Lori doesn't know." Rick said as Harper wiped her forehead on her arm. "My wife doesn't know. My wife doesn't know." Rick was escorted out of the room and Hershel let Harper get to work. As she dug for the bullet Carl started bleeding more and squirming. Patricia tried to help by holding Carl down but Carl needed more blood.

"He needs blood. Now. Maggie get my father and draw some blood. I also need the other man out there." Harper said quickly making people move. Carl's cries broke her heart but Harper pushed them aside and kept working. As Rick came in Maggie moved Rick over to a chair. "Shane I need you to hold Carl down so Patricia can draw Dad's blood." Shane quickly moved and held Carl down so Harper could keep working with less worry. Harper almost had the fragment out as Carl's crying started to pick up. 

"Stop! You're killing him!" Rick yelled at Harper.

"I'll only stop if you want him to die!" Harper yelled. "He needs blood and you need to let me focus!" Harper very rarely snapped but Rick clearly realized he hit a nerve.

"Do it now!" Shane yelled at Rick. Carl stopped struggling and Harper slowly pulled out the piece. "Wait. Wait. Hey."

"He just passed out." Hershel said as Harper set the shrapnel on the tray.

"One down..." Harper huffed. "Five to go" She said as she looked around the room. Hershel moved around Harper and started patching Carl up. Rick watched his daughter as she plopped backwards.

"I thought you were working with Physicians at that hospital?" Rick asked her making her look at him. 

"That hospital kinda shoved me where ever. I worked in the cancer ward the last couple weeks." Harper explained. "School didn't care as long as I got my hours."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Pressure's stable." Hershel said as Harper disconnected the tube that was pumping blood into Carl.

"Lori needs to be here. She doesn't even know what's going on. I've got to go find her. Bring her back." Rick said looking to Shane. 

"You can't do that." Hershel said as Harper gave Patricia the tubing. 

"She's his mother. She needs to know what's happened. Her son's lying here shot." Rick snapped.

"And he's going to need more blood. He can't go more than 50 feet from this bed." Harper snapped right back. Shane took Rick out to the room as Harper and Hershel finished up. 

"Is he always like this?" Hershel said shaking his head.

"You should have seen him when I got attacked by an inmate and they had to take me to the hospital." She said with a sigh. "I'm going to talk to Dad about what needs to happen next." She walked out of the room and heard Rick talking with Shane. 

"I'm not sure how I feel about Harper being the one working on Carl." Rick said. Harper looked at the ground with a face twitch 

"How could you say that. Harp is one of the best doctors we could ask for." Shane said defending her. 

"I know that Shane but I don't want Harper t have that weight on her shoulders if something goes wrong." Rick said. Harper looked up and cleared her throat. Everyone looked up. Rick walked over to hug her properly.

"Harper. I'm so glad you are okay." Rick said making her hug him back. 

"So what's the damage?" Shane said as Rick kept an arm around Harper. 

"He's out of danger for the moment. But I need to remove those remaining fragments." Harper said as Hershel and Patricia joined them in the room. 

"How? You saw how he was." Rick said 

"I know, and that was the shallowest one. I need to go deeper to get the others." Harper said softly. 

"Oh man." Shane said rubbing his head. 

"There's more." Hershel said 

"Tell me." Rick said as Harper made him sit back down. 

"His belly's distended, his pressure is dropping, which means there's internal bleeding. A fragment must have nicked one of the blood vessels. I have to open him up, find the bleeder and stitch it. And he can't move while I'm in there--I mean, at all. If he reacts the same as before, I'll sever an artery and he'll be dead in minutes. To even try this,I have to put him under. But if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results." Harper sighed as Shane wrapped an arm around her neck. 

"What'll it take?" Rick asked Harper.

"You need a respirator. What else?" Otis said thinking as they were speaking.

"The tube that goes with it, extra surgical supplies, drapes, sutures." Harper said naming off all she would need. 

"If you had all that you could save him?" Rick said looking at his daughter.

"If I had all that, I could try." Harper said with a sigh. 

"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago. The High School." Otis said making Harper look at him confused. 

"What's at the High School?" Harper asked. 

"They set up a FEMA shelter there. They would have everything we need." Hershel told her.

"Place was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn't get near it. Maybe It's better now." Otis recommended. 

"I said, leave the rest to me. Is It too late to take that back?" Shane said making Harper smile. 

"I hate you going alone." Rick said. 

"I'll go." Harper said. "You need someone who knows what they are looking for."

"No you need to be here to watch Carl. Come on. Doc, why don't you do me a list and draw me a map?" Shane said looking from Harper to Hershel.

"You won't need a map. I'll take you there. Ain't but five miles." Otis said making Patricia worry.

"Otis, no." Patricia gasped.

"Honey, we don't have time for guesswork and I'm responsible. I ain't gonna sit here while this fella takes this on alone. I'll be all right." Otis told them.

"Do you know what they are talking about?" Shane asked him.

"I've been a volunteer EMT. I do. We can talk about this till next Sunday or we could just go do it real quick." Otis said making Shane nod. 

"I'll take right quick." Shane said.

"I should thank you." Rick said thankfully. 

"Wait till that boy of yours is up and around. Then we'll talk. I'll gather some things." Otis said as him and Shane started getting ready to go. Maggie stepped up in front of Rick and Harper. 

"Where is she, your wife?" Maggie asked.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harper was sitting on the porch as when Rick came out and sat next to her. She looked at him then leaned her head on his shoulder. 

"When I was doing all those hours between the hospital and the prison I thought. What if this all means nothing. What if no matter what I do I'll end up in a situation like Mom and Dad. Cause you both raised me to be independent. You had Shane and Mom had that bitch who's kid went to school with Carl. I had no one. Mom was always half drunk and you were always working and I had to take care of Carl. You guys never taught me how to balance life so I had no one." Harper forced down her tears then looked at Rick. "And I hated you both so much by the time I was graduating and I couldn't leave Carl like that. As much as I wanted to run from you both. As much as I wanted to go to Duke, I picked UG for Carl. So I pushed through and honestly I just started to put up with you two like I put up with my annoying roommate. I told Shane but I didn't tell you or Mom but I was trying to get a job lined up through the Atlanta hospital to keep working at the prison. The prison usually provided housing for the doctor."

"That's amazing why didn't you tell us?" Rick asked her surprised.

"Because you got shot then all of a sudden Mom cared again. That night when I came home from the hospital Carl had eaten and was already sleeping and Mom was worried sick that I was late. So I kept it to myself. Next thing I know I'm killing that Lucille that let me stay at her house when my car broke down in the parking lot and her husband was pulling me out of the hospital trying to get out of Atlanta." 

"You said hated." Rick pointed out. 

"I'm just glad you aren't a stumbling biter." Harper said softly shaking her head.

"Where is Sophia?" Rick asked after a moment of silence.

"I was clearing out the church and I had told her to stay and not going anywhere without me, but she must have saw something and went after it but got chased by a walker. I ran after her and nearly got bit, hit my head when I fell and ended up here. I tried so hard to keep her safe, Dad I really did." Harper said making Rick nod. Rick pulled Harper into his side and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

"We may not have been the best parents but we always worried when you would go out and we always loved you. I knew about the job Shane always told me everything you told him." Rick said making her snort and shake her head. She leaned her head on his shoulder. The two sat for a few minutes before the sound of a horse galloping towards them. Rick and Harper stood up and Lori got off the horse to run towards them. Lori hugged Harper then looked at Rick.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as Harper led them into the house and to the room.

"My boy. My baby boy. Baby boy. It's okay. Mama's here. Mama's here. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. We're gonna make you okay." Lori said as she gentle pet Carl's head. Harper watched from the doorway as Rick and Lori watched Carl. Lori looked up at Rick and frowned. "Where's Harper?" Rick turned back and nodded for Harper to join them. Lori grabbed Harper's hand and held it to her. "My Babies."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Slow. Slow. How many transfusions?" Lori asked as she forced Rick to stay in the chair as Harper took Carl's blood pressure again. 

"Two. Only two." Rick told her. 

"He wanted to do the same for you when you were in the hospital. I had to talk him out of it." Lori said. 

"We talked him out of it by having me donate blood." Harper said as she stood up. Lori laughed at the memory of the conversation. She remember Carl begging his sister for 20 minutes about it. Harper stood up and helped Lori walk Rick to the kitchen. Hershel gave Rick a glass of orange juice.

"Okay, so I understand, when Shane gets back with this other man--" Lori started.

"Otis." Hershel said making Lori nod.

"Otis. The idiot who shot my son." She said making Harper sigh.

"Mom, It was an accident." Harper said rubbing her forehead.

"I'll take that under advisement. For now he's the idiot who shot our son." Lori said making Harper roll her eyes. 

"Lori, they're doing everything they can to make it right." Rick said trying to get her to relax slightly.

"Okay, as soon as they get back you can perform this surgery?" Lori asked looking between Hershel and Harper. 

"Yes I can." Harper said. 

"Okay. You've done this procedure before right Harp?" Lori asked Harper.

"I've assisted several of these surgeries. Preformed a few. Usually I have a doctor watching over me but I've never done anything wrong." Harper said. 

"And you're a doctor, right?" Lori asked Hershel.

"Yes, ma'am. Of course. A vet." Hershel told her with a nod. 

"A veteran? A combat medic?" Lori asked in surprise.

"A veterinarian." Hershel said pissing off Lori.

"And you've done this surgery before on what? Cows? Pigs?" Lori asked angry. 

"I--I have--I have to sit." Rick said as he got light headed and almost collapse. Harper grabbed her father before he could fall to the ground and helped him into a chair.

"Completely in over your head, aren't you?" She asked. looking from Rick to Hershel.

"Ma'am, aren't we all?" Hershel asked her. "I will only be there to assist Harper." 

"Great. We have a vet and a half trained grad student." Lori said making Harper look at her in shock. 

"Is Shane really the only one who has faith in me and my abilities?" Harper snapped as she stood up and looked at Lori. 

"Harper that's not what I-" Lori said as she looked at Harper's heartbroken face. 

"No Mom. That is exactly what you meant." Harper said as she stood up and left the kitchen.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lori walked into Carl's room and looked at Harper who was gently playing with Carl's hair.

"Your father told me about your conversation earlier." Lori said making Harper sigh. "So if you have something to say to me say it."

"If the world hadn't ended you wouldn't have custody of Carl right now." Harper said standing up looking at her shocked mother. 

"How could you-" Lori started.

"I was looking into taking custody of Carl right before shit went to hell. The child service representative I was working with said it wouldn't have even been a battle." Harper said cutting off Lori.

"I know I wasn't the perfect mother but that doesn't mean I was bad enough for you to try and take Carl away." Lori hissed at her daughter. Tears welled in Harper's eyes as she let out a bitter laugh. 

"Wasn't perfect? That's generous. You always found the bottom of several wine glasses by 2 in the afternoon. I can count on one hand the amount of times I didn't walk Carl home. I made sure the house ran. That Dad had work clothes. That Carl got up on time. That the house was clean and full of food. That was me." Harper snapped. "You only got your shit together cause Dad go shot and you decided you cared again." Lori sniffled and shook her head.

"You're right." Lori sobbed softly. "I am an awful mother. I was a bitch to your father for no rash reason and I was an awful parent to you and Carl. You are right. Are you happy?"

"I haven't been happy since I was 12 Mom." Harper said as she sat back down. Lori pushed down her tears as quickly as she could when Rick and Hershel came into the room. Harper was taking Carl's blood pressure and Lori tried to brush off her and Harper's conversation. 

"How is he?" Hershel asked.

"Pressure's dropping again. We can't wait much longer." Harper said with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead.

"Take some more. Whatever he needs. Then I'm gonna go." Rick said as he held his arm out. 

"Go? Go where?" Lori asked confused.

"He said five miles. They should be long back by now. Something's gone wrong." Rick said as he looked around the room.

"Are you insane? You're not going after them." Lori told him.

"Rick, listen to your wife." Hershel told him. 

"If they got into trouble--" Rick started but Harper cut them off.

"You're in no condition to do anything about it. You've given too much blood. You're barely on your feet. You wouldn't make it across the yard." Harper hissed. 

"If something happened, I have to go." Rick said looking between Harper and Lori. 

"No,your place is here. If Shane said he'll be back, he'll be back. He's like you that way." Harper told him. 

"I can't just sit here." Rick tried again.

"That's exactly what you do." Harper and Lori snapped at the same time in the same tone. 

"If you need to pray or cry or tell god he's cruel, you go right ahead, but you're not leaving, Rick. Carl needs you--here. And I can't do this by myself. Not this one. I can't. I can't." Lori said as Harper looked down at her feet.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey." Glenn whispered. Harper sighed as she took the stethoscope off. 

"Hey." Rick said back as Glenn and T-dog looked over Carl. 

"Um, we're here, okay?" Glenn said unsure of what else to say.

"Thank you." Lori told them.

"Whatever you need." T-Dog said before they left the room again.

"They don't get back soon, we're gonna have a decision to make." Hershel said as he looked from Harper to Rick and Lori.

"And that is?" Rick asked looking at Harper. 

"Whether to operate on Carl without the respirator." Harper said softly

"You said that wouldn't work." Lori said as Harper sighed. 

"I know. It's extremely unlikely. But we can't wait much longer." Harper said looking at her parents. Lori quickly got up and left the room. Harper held a hand out to her father when he tried to get up and went after her mother. Harper stood in the doorway to the porch and watched her mother for a minute. Lori looked at Harper and shook her head. "If it makes you feel better I wasn't going to go for full custody. It would only be temporary while you and Dad got shit figured out and stopped fighting in front of Carl." Lori held her arms open and Harper indulged her. She stepped into Lori's arms and rested her chin on Lori's shoulder.

"It hurts to hear any of that but I get it. Harper I am not mad that you wanted to get Carl away from us. I am mad at myself for it getting that way." Lori said making Harper close her eyes. "And it's because of how you stepped up that I know you are going to be a great mother to this child." Tears were running down Harper's face and Lori continued. "You are so much stronger than this world ever gave you credit for and I love how you stepped up and took on this challenge cause it means your brother a fighting chance. I love you so much, Baby. You are so strong." Lori stepped back and wiped the tears off Harper's face. 

"I love you too." Harper whispered.

"God we are too much alike." Lori said making Harper laugh. Rick came out and Harper went back into the house. She smiled at Glenn then walked back to Carl's room. Rick and Lori came back and it looked like there was something heavy sitting between them. 

"Where are we?" Carl asked as he looked between the four people in the room. 

"Hey, little man. That's Hershel. We're in his house. You had an accident. All right?" Rick told Carl

"It hurts, a lot." Carl groan as Harper took his hand. 

"Oh baby, I know. I know." Lori said as she laid by Carl.

"You should have seen it." Carl said to Lori smiling.

"What?" Lori asked him. 

"The deer. It was so pretty,Gray. It was so close. I've never been..." Carl stopped mid sentence making Rick and Lori panic.

"Carl?" Rick called.

"What is happening?" Lori asked as Carl started spastic motions. 

"Don't. It's a seizure. If you hold him down, you could hurt him." Harper said as she started moving pillow and blankets that could restrict his movements.

"You can't stop it?" Lori asked Harper who shook her head. 

"He has to just go through it." Harper said softly as they watched Carl go through the seizure. 

"His brain isn't getting enough blood. His pressure is bottoming. He needs another transfusion." He said as Harper ran a hand through her hair. 

"Okay, I'm ready." Rick said as he held out his arm. 

"If we take any more out of you your body could shut down. You could go into a coma. Or cardiac arrest." Harper said looking at her father.

"You're wasting time." Rick told her. She looked at her father for a few minutes before nodding.

"You're right. Hershel take my blood." Harper said holding out her arm. Hershel looked at her for a moment then nodded.

"Harper. If you do that, You won't be able to do the surgery." Rick snapped at her.

"I've assisted open heart surgery hung over. I can do this a pint down." Harper said as she rubbed Carl's head. "It's worth it."

"What about your baby?" Lori asked her. Harper thought for a minute and sighed. 

"He will be fine. A pint won't hurt." She said as they drew blood from her.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He's still losing blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swelling in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away. Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this." Harper said softly looking at her parents. 

"I think your boy is out of time. You have to make a choice." Hershel said looking over at Rick and Lori. 

"A choice?" Lori said as she looked from Harper to Rick. 

"A choice. You have to tell me what it is. You have to tell me what it is." Rick told Lori. Lori looked at Harper and she saw the itch that Harper had. Her pleading eyes never really changed from when she was little, Lori mentally noted. 

"We do it." Lori said sending Harper and Hershel into action. 

"Okay, get the corner of that bed. Let's get the sheets down everybody. Get the IV bag on the sheet. Okay, on three. One, two, three." Harper 

"Rick, Lori, you may want to step out." Hershel told them as Harper picked up a scalpel and moved to start. The sound of a truck approaching the farm made Harper take off running. Harper pressed a kiss to Shane's cheek as she grabbed the bag and ran back into the house, passing Hershel and her father. 

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Harper finished what she was doing and dropped to the ground with a sigh. After a second all the emotions she had been feeling came pouring out. She fell to her side and cried. Hershel looked at her for a minute impressed with her. 

"For a grad student only half way through her clinicals that was impressive. Not anyone could have done what you did. You did amazing Harper." Hershel said rubbing her back. "Take another minute then come out." Harper sat for a minute watching her brother before she pushed herself up and walked out on the porch. She looked between her parents and she looked at Shane. Harper forced down more tears as she stood.

"Harper it's ok." Rick said. "You saved Carl." Hershel and Rick went to talk to Patricia and Lori patted Harper's shoulder as she walked by her. Shane wrapped his arms around Harper and she started crying again. 

"You are amazing kid. Surprising me every time and getting more impressive everyday." Shane told her trying to calm her. "Did you talk to your parents about-"

"Yes. I think the end of the world snapped mom out of whatever her problem was. Cause that's mom not whatever happened before." Harper said as she stepped back from Shane. 

"I think you are too harsh on your mom." Shane said as she leaned on the railing. 

"Yeah maybe but forcing your 12 year old to know how to cook and care for their younger sibling is neglect. Dad isn't guilt free either." Harper said looking at Shane. "Lucille always said the point of kids was to raise a better person than you are. What does it say about you as a parent that you can't do that unless faced with a life threatening issues."

"Your parents did their best." Shane started making Harper snort. "Stop let me finish. They did raise you and they have been there when you needed them most." 

"Oh yeah." Harper said looking at him in surprise. 

"Yeah." he said with a knowing look. "They went to all your meets. They helped you get in to college. I can't tell you how many papers Rick made me read."

"Uh huh. Who came and got me when that car almost hit me and I had to jump into the ditch while jogging?" Harper asked him crossing her arms. 

"Your grandfather." Shane said. 

"Who came and got me from the hospital after I swerved to miss a deer and hit a tree?" 

"I did." 

"Who drove me to work after that so it wouldn't happen again?" 

"I did. Before you continue your father came and got you from that guy's house when your car wouldn't start."

"Only cause I told Negan he wasn't missing a day of work to drive me back. I get what you are trying to do. I have already made peace with the fact that I can't change what they did. At this point I'm just happy they are both here and not a deado." Shane patted her back and she leaned over the railing.


End file.
